The election victories of 79 corporators in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been challenged through petitions filed before the courts, bringing nearly one-third of the newly elected civic representatives under legal scrutiny.
According to information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the petitions have been filed by defeated candidates, former corporators and political rivals across party lines. Among those who have moved the courts are former corporators from major parties, including Congress leader Sheetal Mhatre, Shiv Sena leaders Rajul Patel, Sanjay Nana Ambole and Raju Pednekar, as well as BJP leaders and workers who narrowly lost their respective contests. Also among the petitioners are Deepti Waikar Potnis, daughter of Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar, and Priya Sarvankar Gurav, daughter of former MLA Sada Sarvankar.
The petitions cite a range of alleged irregularities, including discrepancies in nomination documents, disputes over caste certificate validity, issues related to election affidavits, criminal case disclosures and other procedural lapses. Several of the challenged results were decided by narrow margins, prompting unsuccessful candidates to seek judicial intervention.
Information provided by the BMC's legal department to RTI activist Anil Galgali shows that 79 election petitions have been filed against winning corporators. While one petition has reportedly been dismissed, the remaining cases are pending before the courts.
The legal challenges span multiple political parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), the BJP and other major contenders in the civic polls. The outcome of these cases could have a bearing on the composition of the 227-member BMC and the balance of power in Mumbai's civic administration.
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